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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · sharp · pound · tube · trunk · row · fan · rule

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rule — a law
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. row — to paddle
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pop — music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rule — government
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. tube — a container
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. trunk — of a car

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com